Image 1 of 1
Painted in January 2022, First Frost captures the quiet beauty of a familiar farm just outside Hillsboro, Wisconsin. Dan passes this scene often on his daily drive—an Amish homestead that also appears in Sunset at the Farm. But on this particular morning, everything felt different.
The first frost of the season had rolled in heavy, covering fields, fences, and rooftops in a layer so thick it looked like powdered sugar. There was no snow, but the landscape shimmered with that soft, silvery glaze that only happens when the temperature dips just right and the air holds still.
In this 16×20 oil painting, Dan uses cool blues, whites, and muted ochres to communicate that sense of stillness and transition—the brief pause between autumn and full-blown winter. There’s a subtle texture in the brushwork that mimics the granular crunch of frost underfoot, and the light dances just enough to suggest a new day breaking.
This piece speaks to the quiet poetry of rural life. Of the things you see when you slow down. Of the beauty that’s right there, waiting, if you’re paying attention.